Portrait of Tyra Hasselblatt 1910

Magnus Enckell made this portrait of Tyra Hasselblatt in 1900, and the first thing you see are the pastel hues, a dance of soft blues and pinks, like a whispered conversation between colors. I imagine Enckell, brush in hand, trying to capture not just Tyra's likeness but her essence. Look at the way the brushstrokes build up the surface, creating a gentle texture that feels almost dreamlike. The way he renders the book in her hands, each page a blur of color and suggestion, makes me wonder about the stories she loved. What was she thinking as she sat for this painting? Was she lost in thought, or did she exchange glances with the artist? Painters are always looking at each other, borrowing and riffing on ideas. You can see a similar sensitivity to color and light in the work of his contemporaries. It’s like they're all part of this ongoing conversation, pushing the boundaries of what paint can do. Each brushstroke is a little experiment. And maybe that's what painting is all about, trying to capture something elusive, something that can't be put into words.